Sundance: Lucy and Desi

 

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz are having a moment. They were recently been the subject of Aaron Sorkin's new movie Becoming the Ricardos, which stars Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem as the famous duo. And TCM's season three of their excellent podcast The Plot Thickens devotes an entire 10 episodes (plus a bonus one) to Lucille's story. Now there is a new documentary, directed by Amy Poehler and premiering on Amazon Prime March 4th, that takes viewers into the world of these two 20th Century icons. 

Lucy and Desi follows the story of the two entertainers from their early days in New York and Cuba, to their start in Hollywood, the success of the I Love Lucy show and Desilu Studios and beyond. The documentary includes archival footage, home video, family photographs, clips from I Love Lucy and audio recordings of Ball and Arnaz talking about their lives. Poehler wanted to tell the story of Lucy and Desi through their own words which she does effectively in this film. There are plenty of interviews too including with family members, experts, and celebrities like Carol Burnett, Bette Midler and Charo. 

The documentary demonstrates just how influential Lucy and Desi really were. A powerhouse couple in the entertainment industry, the resounding success of I Love Lucy and the birth of Desilu Studios revolutionized television production. Lucille Ball was a brilliant comedian and a free spirit. Desi Arnaz was a master at the business and a talented producer. The film also explores their marriage, including stories from their children, and even goes into some detail about their second marriages, which are often overlooked despite lasting longer than the Ball-Arnaz union. There is a really moving story, as told by their daughter, about Lucy and Desi's final meeting and their final phone call. 

There were a couple of claims made in the film which were a bit off. I'd have to revisit the doc to see what exactly was said because I only got one chance to see it. It was suggested that Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance were the first on screen female comedy duo. While that was a rarity, they were not the first and such a claim ignores the fact that comedic talents like Thelma Todd, ZaSu Pitts and Patsy Kelly (who all worked with each other in duos) existed before the advent of television. Also there was a claim that Lucy and Desi were the original lifestyle brand which also ignores how many famous actors were employed to market household products on radio shows and in magazine ads.

Lucy and Desi is a good primer for anyone wanting to learn about these two entertainment icons. However, I would steer people more towards TCM's podcast The Plot Thickens which is very well-researched, offers more information, includes plenty of audio so you get that feeling like you heard Lucille Ball tell her own story, but also has the added benefit of Ben Mankiewicz as host.

Lucy and Desi had its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and will be available on Amazon Prime in March.

Sundance: Living

 

It's been a long time since I've had a strong emotional reaction to a film like I had with this one. It really spoke to my soul in such a way that I was a wreck afterwards. It's brilliant, heartbreaking and soul-reviving. It breathed new life into me.

Written by acclaimed author Kazuo Ishiguro and directed by Oliver Hermanus, Living is a remake of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's classic drama Ikiru (1952). Set in early 1950s London, the film stars Bill Nighy as Mr. Williams, a civil servant in charge of a government office that oversees projects. Mr. Williams is a widower living with his son Michael and daughter-in-law. Every day he takes the train into London to work and his routine is very set in stone. So much so that his coworkers know his routine and his quirks down pat and respect him enough to not to disturb his daily flow. His coworkers are a serious bunch with the exception of newcomer Peter Wakeling (Alex Sharp), who brings with him the enthusiasm of energy of a young man embarking on a new chapter, and Margaret Harris (Aimee Lou Wood), the sprightly young woman brings a bit of joy to the otherwise dullness of office work. Mr. Williams gets the devastating news that he has terminal cancer and little time left. He stops going to work, looking for a way to spend his final days actually living. After a few jaunts he realizes exactly what will give him a sense of purpose and a bit of happiness before his time runs out.

"I withdrew this cash and came down here to enjoy myself or live a little... but I realize I don't know how." — Mr. Williams

This film is breathtaking. Besides the poignant story, there are the wonderful performances, the stunning cinematography and the period authentic set design and costuming. Bill Nighy delivers an award worthy performance as Mr. Williams. He portrays his character as gentle, kind but ultimately lost. Mr. Williams reminds us that life is short and there is no time like the present to start living. At one point I felt the film would become too sappy, but the story steers us back to reality. We are human. We self-sabotage. We don't really grasp what living truly is. And we let a job eat away at our years, robbing us of a chance of really taking in the world around us. 

Living is a pretty faithful adaptation of Kurosawa's Ikiru in terms of story. The opening credits are laid over archival footage of 1950s London and for a moment it feels like we're watching the beginning of an old movie. 

Living recently had its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. I implore you all to see it when you can. It's really just a fine piece of filmmaking. It's a movie with a lot of heart. There isn't any information about future film festival spots or a public release but when there is I will add it here. In the meantime, if you haven't seen Kurosawa's Ikiru or want to revisit it, the film is currently available on the Criterion Channel.

Charles Boyer: The French Lover by John Baxter

Charles Boyer

The French Lover

by John Baxter

Hardcover ISBN: 9780813155524

University Press of Kentucky 

298 pages

November 2021 

Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

“For generations of film and theater audiences, Boyer was the archetypal Frenchman — cultivated, courteous, and seductive, yet never quite at home in a culture not his own. The sense of loss conveyed in his murmuring baritone voice was the very essence of romance. Women longed to comfort him; men wanted to become his friend.” — John Baxter

Charles Boyer charmed audiences for decades playing suave and debonair leading men in countless classic films. Audiences swooned at films like The Garden of Allah (1936), Algiers (1938), Love Affair (1939), Madame de... (1953). Boyer terrified us with his intensity in films like the psychological drama Gaslight (1944). His life began and ended with great tragedy but in the middle he found many ways to thrive doing what he loved best: acting.

Charles Boyer: The French Lover by John Baxter offers everything a reader would want out of movie star biography. It's compact, chronological, and concise. It's well-written and thoroughly researched. It offers just the right balance of personal and professional. It never crosses over to sensationalism yet delivers plenty of insights. The reader will come away feeling like they really got to know Charles Boyer as a person and as an actor and will immediately look for movies to watch to extend the experience. 

More books like this please!

Boyer in 1939 rehearsing for his appearance on the
radio drama series Hollywood Playhouse.
Credit: NBC. Source: University Press of Kentucky

Some takeaways from the book:

• Boyer came from a place of privilege and the author describes his journey to Hollywood as a progression rather than a struggle. 

• Boyer loved reading and amassed a large collection of books (including over 3,000 first editions). He also had a penchant for gambling and smoking.

• He was highly competitive and had a knack for memorizing dialogue. So much so that he would memorize all the parts of a script.

• He was intensely private and turned down interviews whenever he could. Baxter writes “Boyer lived in relative simplicity, with only one other permanent staff member: his double and stand-in Irving “Fig” Newton, whom he kept on retainer. A part-time secretary handled business correspondence and fan mail—which, as an independent, Boyer had to respond to himself, rather than leaving it to a studio press office. He subscribed to no clippings service and did not employ a press agent. Requests for interviews were politely declined.”

• Despite developing a reputation as "the French lover", Boyer was quite the misogynist and was open about his disdain for women. This changed when he met the love of his life Pat Paterson. Baxter writes “Marriage had softened Boyer’s hostility toward women. His new manner was gentler, amused, provocative.”

• He started his career in Hollywood in bit parts or starring in the French productions of American films like The Trial of Mary Dugan and The Big House (my review of the three versions of that film can be found here)

• Boyer insisted on leading roles because he valued his talent and knew that top billing meant top pay and top treatment. After WWII and with the rise of television, he began to take on more character roles in Europe.

• Boyer's father died at a young age. He was met with tragedy later on in life when his son died by suicide and his beloved wife died of cancer. Boyer ended his life two days after Pat's death.

The author goes into detail about Boyer's working relationship with his leading ladies including Irene Dunne, Ingrid Bergman, Jean Arthur and Rita Hayworth. Mia Farrow, who grew up next door to the Boyers, was interviewed for the book and is quoted several times. Not every film is discussed the majority are. I found this a welcome relief as some biographies do try to tackle each and every film and if the subject's filmography is quite extensive this in turn can become quite exhausting. Some notable films discussed include: Red-Headed Woman (1932), Caravan (1934) Liliom (1934), The Garden of Allah (1936), Conquest (1937), Tovarich (1937), Algiers (1938), Love Affair (1939), All This, and Heaven Too (1940), Hold Back the Dawn (1941), The Constant Nymph (1943), Gaslight (1944), Cluny Brown (1944) and many more. There are some light spoilers but I didn't feel like it was necessary to be well-versed in Boyer's filmography to be able to enjoy the book. 

If you're a Charles Boyer fan or even mildly interested in him, don't miss out on this excellent biography.

A big thank you to University Press of Kentucky for sending me a copy of the book for review.